Chelsea manager Enzo Maresca acknowledged that his team “are going to concede goals this season playing out from the back” following two defensive errors in a 2-2 draw with Wrexham in his first game in charge.
Midfielder Lesley Ugochukwu scored an 82nd-minute equalizer in Santa Clara, California, canceling out two second-half goals by the League One side.
Christopher Nkunku opened the scoring for Chelsea with a sharp finish in the penalty box in the 35th minute of their opening friendly on their pre-season tour of the United States.
However, Wrexham took a surprise lead after both teams made significant changes at halftime, with Luke Bolton and Jack Marriott scoring after Chelsea’s defensive mistakes.
The defensive errors were part of a weak second-half performance as Chelsea adapt to Maresca’s possession-based approach.
Wrexham impressed, building on their 1-1 draw against Bournemouth on Saturday in a half-empty Levi’s Stadium, home of the San Francisco 49ers.
This is the Welsh club’s second consecutive US pre-season tour, capitalizing on their popularity under co-owners Hollywood actors Rob McElhenney and Ryan Reynolds. Phil Parkinson’s side is preparing for third-tier football for the first time since 2005.
Maresca was asked about conceding goals due to his playing philosophy, which emphasizes more patient build-up from back to front.
“Hopefully, not too many. It is one of the risks that you have trying to build from behind.”
And the 44-year-old former Leicester boss said he would “absolutely” continue his style, adding: “I have no doubt. I think you are going to concede in different ways, so you need to decide in which way you need to concede a goal.
“Sometimes teams that try to build from the back concede goals but I think you are going to score more than you concede.
“For sure, we did many things we can improve, but we started just two weeks ago. Tonight was important to start seeing the identity of the team and the identity is there.”
The match started in lively fashion with Levi Colwill and James McClean avoiding red cards after an early bust-up.
Reece James hit the post with a curled free-kick and delivered a series of dangerous corners in the first half, as Chelsea led 1-0 at the break.
However, in the second half, Ugochukwu failed to cut out Seb Revan’s cross, which was turned in at the far post by Bolton.
A mistake by Josh Acheampong allowed Marriott to score with an impressive low drive, giving Wrexham a surprise lead. Marriott then had another effort well saved by Chelsea’s second-half goalkeeper, Lucas Bergstrom.
Chelsea’s equalizer came from a slick move involving substitutes Angelo Gabriel, Armando Broja, and Ugochukwu, who made up for his earlier mistake by finishing with a good left-foot strike to level the match.
Maresca gave a balanced assessment of the performance, saying: “In this moment, we started just two weeks ago, it’s important that us as the staff and the people can start to see the identity of the team. Tonight it was quite clear.
“For sure we are going to add more solutions.”
In the first half Chelsea used Reece James as an inverted full-back, pushing into midfield. Maresca added: “We tried to build with three and two. First-half with James inside and second-half with Malo [Gusto] inside.
“It does not matter about the level of the opposition; when they sit back with 11 players behind the ball, it’s always difficult to find space and solutions are not easy.”
There were appearances for Wesley Fofana, who missed the entire 2023-24 campaign with a long-term injury, and Romeo Lavia, who managed just 32 minutes last season.
Maresca said: “They are both very important. At this moment for them, it is important to get minutes, to use every training session. For one year without getting minutes, it is difficult mentally. They need a boost, energy and 45 minutes is going to help both of them.
“Like I said, the result for us is always important but in this moment, also we need to judge different things.”
The Blues next face Scottish champions Celtic in Notra Dame on Saturday night (Sunday morning BST) as Maresca continues to learn about his squad. “Tonight the target was to give all of them 45 minutes. It is too early to think about the first XI.
“Also, because we have four or five players not with us. It was important to see the team with one clear identity and I think it was there.”